N.C. State’s Abdul-Malik Abu averaged 12.9 points and a team-leading 8.8 rebounds per game for State last season

RALEIGH — Abdul-Malik Abu had an apology for N.C. State fans Thursday.

“It was never my intent to scare you guys or cause a storm or anything of that nature.” he said during the hastily called press conference at the Wolfpack’s basketball practice facility. “I was going through a time in my life where I did not know all the answers.”

The sophomore forward need not worry about being forgiven. As it turns out, the most important answer he found while testing the waters of the NBA draft over the past month was the one his team’s perpetually nervous fans were hoping to hear.

Abu announced that he has withdrawn his name from the draft and will return to State for his junior season.

In the process, he debunked a report earlier this month by ESPN’s Jeff Goodman that he was considering a transfer by referring to Raleigh as “a place I call home” and the Wolfpack as “family.” Abu also praised coach Mark Gottfried, someone he said “I truly believe in and who believe in me to showcase my abilities.

“I never thought of leaving here,” the 6-foot-8 Boston native said. “My biggest choice was never anything about transferring. It was more so to try to reach my dream and be a professional athlete. That’s a dream I still have and I’m still going to carry on with me regardless of how many years it takes.”

Abu’s decision to return to the Wolfpack is the latest stroke of good news in a week coach Mark Gottfried described as “exciting” for his program.

NC State coach Mark Gottfried has more reason to celebrate today with news that forward Abdul-Malik Abu will be back next season

On Friday, State signed three-star power forward Darius Hicks. Three days later, Gottfried landed an even bigger recruit in 7-foot Turkish center Omer Yurtseven, a five-star prospect who has has been projected by some as a potential lottery pick as early as 2017.

With the return of Abu and potentially rising senior BeeJay Anya — who has yet to formally announce his decision on whether to stay in the draft or return to school — the Wolfpack could potentially have one of the deepest, most talented frontcourts in the ACC next season.

State also has plenty of backcourt help coming as well with the addition of blue chip freshman Dennis Smith Jr., Charlotte transfer Torin Dorn and holdover Terry Henderson, now nearly fully recovered from an ankle injury that caused him to miss the entire 2015-16 season.

“I attracted a double team last year. But I feel like with the pieces we have this year, you’re not going to be able to individually pinpoint on one player. You’re going to have to stop the whole entire team.”

Like many college underclassmen this year, Abu declared for the draft in order to take advantage of new rules that give players with eligibility remaining the opportunity to gather more information on their chances by attending the NBA’s pre-draft Combine or individual team workouts.

Abdul-Malik Abu meets the Boston media after his workout with the Celtics this week

Although Abu wasn’t invited to the Combine, he did work out for his hometown Boston Celtics earlier this week. The feedback he got there factored in his decision to return to State and can’t help but benefit both him and the Wolfpack now that he’s back.

“I see myself as a power forward who wants to be able to stretch the floor and make plays,” Abu said. “Definitely (the NBA scouts) want to see me put the ball on the floor more and they want to see a consistent jumpshot. all things I truly believe I can do here at N.C. State.”

While Abu appeared happy and comfortable with his decision while reading from a prepared statement Thursday, his coach sitting next to him looked more relieved than excited after a tumultuous month of comings, goings, transfers and returns.

“I’m not one of those guys that ever bought into the ‘sky is falling,’” Gottfried said, referring to the panic Abu’s entry into the draft helped intensify. “At the same time, we can all take a deep breath and move forward.”